EVENTS

Trump’s speech to the UN was a perfect example of projection

When US presidents get on their high horse at places like the United Nations and start moralizing and criticizing whichever nation happens to be the current enemy, it provides perfect examples of ‘psychological projection‘, the practice where people “defend themselves against their own unconscious impulses or qualities (both positive and negative) by denying their existence in themselves while attributing them to others.”

Here is Trump yesterday in his speech to the UN. He is lecturing Iran but I have changed the references to Iran to America.

The American government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy. It has turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos. The longest-suffering victims of America’s leaders are, in fact, its own people.
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It is time for the entire world to join us in demanding that America’s government end its pursuit of death and destruction. It is time for the regime to free all Americans and citizens of other nations that they have unjustly detained. And above all, America’s government must stop supporting terrorists, begin serving its own people, and respect the sovereign rights of its neighbors.
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Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the American people will face a choice. Will they continue down the path of poverty, bloodshed, and terror? Or will the American people return to the nation’s proud roots as a center of civilization, culture, and wealth where their people can be happy and prosperous once again?

The American regime’s support for terror is in stark contrast to the recent commitments of many of its neighbors to fight terrorism and halt its financing.

And here is Trump on North Korea, where I have again changed the country’s name to the US

No one has shown more contempt for other nations and for the wellbeing of their own people than the depraved regime in America.
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If this is not twisted enough, now America’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life.

It is an outrage that some nations would not only trade with such a regime, but would arm, supply, and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict. No nation on earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles.

Yep, that’s projection alright.

Iran’s leader Hassan Rouhani as well as the other five nations who are signatories to the deal (UK, France, Germany, Russia and China) have criticized Trump’s threat to renege on the deal, with Rouhani saying that Trump’s speech consisted of “ignorant, absurd and hateful rhetoric” and that “It would be a great pity if this agreement were to be destroyed by rogue newcomers to the world of politics.”

Why is Iran America’s number one enemy in the ME? Yes, it’s a nasty theocracy, but so is Saudi Arabia. Perhaps it’s because Israel sees it as a rival.

I wouldn’t expect the US to reset its moral compass for some time, probably fiscal reality will bite deep and hard long before American political elites see the writing on the wall.
Analyst William Hartung calculated the annual cost of the US war machine at $1.1 trillion annually. That is payments for past wars, current funding and preparation for future wars.
Niall Ferguson predicted a possible sudden fiscal collapse for America, rather than a slow imperial decline. Anyone wanna bet?

It is a serious rival to Saudi Arabia and probably a threat to the Saudi regime. The Saudi Eastern Province has a large and heavily repressed and discriminated against Shia population. And guess where a lot of the oil and oil infrastructure happens to be?

Iran is a declared enemy of Israel and supports Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran has the potential to be a dangerous opponent to Israel so obvious it must be enemy No. 1. It, also, is the only country in the region at the moment with the will and resources to oppose US Middle East actions in the Middle East. As such, it seems to be providing significant support to the Syrian Govenment.

Iran has oil?

Iran has hurt the amour propre of the USA. It booted out the American’s puppet, the Shah, held US diplomats prisoner (hostage?) and the US rescue mission failed. Obviously Iran must be punished. You may see some parallels with Cuba here.